It's Quiet - a new dawn

[domalino]

The position is, but Aguero isn't, Dybala and Aubameyang are targets ahead of him.

Dybala is about to announce the signing of a new 5 year contract making him Juventus' highest paid player and Aubameyang...over Aguero really? No.

 

[panne]

Mbappe is also not interested in working with a manager who takes young players backwards in their development so thankfully we can rule United out of the race for him no matter how desperate, sorry astronomical, their offer is.

Hah! We'll see, although any club's bid would have to be desperate / astronomical / however you want to put it, for it to happen.

 

[panne]

Dybala is about to announce the signing of a new 5 year contract making him Juventus' highest paid player and Aubameyang...over Aguero really? No.

Have you watched both over the past two seasons?

 

[Akiva]

Monaco don't want to sell Mbappe and for it to happen it's going to take an astronomical figure.

I think it's obvious Monaco don't want to move on Mbappe so early. They will, regardless of their intentions, have to take leave of at least 2 if not more of their star squad this season and losing their best player would likely be a bridge too far.

Nobody denies a world record transfer fee would be required, the only question is if there are teams who would be willing to pay it. The rags might, particularly with Griezmann looking likely to spend another season at Atleti. I don't see Chelsea, Arsenal or Real, for various reasons, going the extra mile for him personally.

Would Pep? I don't know. He'd have the resources, but so many improvements are required across the squad (potentially 8 signings this window to come) and north of £120 million may just be too much.

Doubt Madrid will get involved with Aguero, they've got other targets that are priorities, PSG could be an option though.

I think PSG is an option there, interest has been reported, but I'd struggle to imagine the prospect of getting Aguero wouldn't be too much for a club like Real Madrid to resist. It fits their MO completely and they've had plenty of opportunities to get Aubameyang over the years, for much less money than he'd go now, but have always resisted. The player himself wants to go to Madrid, but Real haven't budged. Why?

That said, you've been right on a number of things in the past (Jose going to the rags, Pogshit etc)

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

Barkley would be absolutely perfect if we couldn't get Isco, a cheap but very talented English player who's considerably better than the likes of Delph.

Based on what exactly?

Barkley was clearly being discussed last year, but his form absolutely tanked.

At best he's developed into a head down player. I don't think he would fit our team at all as I've yet to see him move the ball fast enough.

Delph can, but doesn't seem to have the smarts to play the system. I don't think Barkley has either attribute, certainly not as an 8 or 10.

 

[City_Sean]

Based on what exactly?

Barkley was clearly being discussed last year, but his form absolutely tanked.

At best he's developed into a head down player. I don't think he would fit our team at all as I've yet to see him move the ball fast enough.

Delph can, but doesn't seem to have the smarts to play the system. I don't think Barkley has either attribute, certainly not as an 8 or 10.

Barkley is an unbelievably intelligent player, he has both the raw and physical attributes as well as time on his side.

He's the sort of player Pep would make world class, he's English and he'd be cheap. He could absolutely play in a midfield three.

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

Barkley is an unbelievably intelligent player, he has both the raw and physical attributes as well as time on his side.

He's the sort of player Pep would make world class, he's English and he'd be cheap. He could absolutely play in a midfield three.

I disagree. I've watched him a lot and all I see is a player who puts his head down and runs. He's lacking in vision and his tempo is determined by his legs.

I don't think the likes of him and Oxelade Chamberlain are the sort of player Pep wants in this team tbh. Looking at everything recruited recently, they all have the give and go approach first and foremost. Even Sterling, who English media can only see as the next Wright Phillips/Walcott type is incredibly efficient when it comes to keeping the ball moving. I just don't see it from Barkley.

 

[Yates]

Nah, Ronaldo isn't a number 9 and Zidane knows it. Plus Zidane isn't a talented enough coach to convert him into a 9!

But Ronaldo is no longer effective as a winger. Stones has more take on than him. Every time I see Ronaldo, he's struggling to beat players. Hazard would be better than him on the wing. Ronaldo is all about goals now and a lot of them come from headers/penalties/tap ins at the moment so he's predominately a central player now.

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

Barkley seems quite similar to Kev in playstyle. Not been watching him too closely recently but felt he didnt have that level of intelligence needed to play an 8 for us. Has he improved on this? He has the technical talent.

For a cut price deal I would be happy to have him here but only if he is deemed good enough to start in our system, rather than being a bench warmer for when we get an injury. We have a real problem where our current backups are such a drop off in quality, even one or two changes makes a huge impact on our performances. Would like it if we had more equals in the squad with rotation rather than a clear A and B team. Seems we are heading for that approach with Pep.

My big issue with bringing him in for a bench role is we really don't need to.

Think about the reserves and loanees who could play that position next year. Celina,Brahim, Garcia could all fill that role.

 

[OB1]

Like I said i hope i'm wrong on Gundogan.

The English player thing is significantly underestimated by many on here. IF, and it's a big IF, you can find players of the requisite talent, then buying English trumps buying foreign for a myriad of reasons. Team spirit, club identity, the lack of a threat that they will want to move abroad (home), their marketing worth, the long term effect upon your position within the league when it comes to buying other talented English players.

Essentially, what United did in the 90's. Buy all the best English players so that every emerging English player wants to play for you before anyone else. It took Wenger's success and Chelsea's money to break that stranglehold United had. Since then nobody has managed to establish control of the English players' market. I think City can and will over the next three or four years. Sterling + Stones were the start.

You have to be very selective about English players but having a core of the best English players should provide the benefits that you suggest.

 

[_OVO_]

For the sake of Barkley argument, here is the comparison matrix for if we consider him to be a free eight jut like Kev and David.

I have to admit, I am a bit surprised looking at that. He's been really good considering his age and that rest of them have been playing alongside top players.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

I'd be very happy with signing Barkley in a cut price deal. Potentially a phenomenal player, strong, good technique, confident dribbler and has a bit of fight in him. His progress stalled after an explosive start to his career and he seems a bit brainless at times with the way he runs into blind alleys but he seems like he's got a decent attitude and is willing to learn.

I laughed at the £50m fee that has been rumoured over the last few seasons but if that valuation comes down due to his contract situation then he is definitely worth enquiring about. Koeman has done him a world of good and I think that would continue under Pep.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

I should really have texted you this but fuck it. Was talking to someone I know, a DJ, who knows Ross pretty well. My mate the DJ is an Arsenal fan so has no horse in the Barkley race. He reckons Ross has been tapped up by Klopp and that he is gonna run his contract down.

As a boyhood Evertonian I would be surprised to see that happen. Money talks and all that but it's not like he'd have a shortage of suitors.

Stranger things have happened I suppose.

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

For the sake of Barkley argument, here is the comparison matrix for if we consider him to be a free eight jut like Kev and David.

I have to admit, I am a bit surprised looking at that. He's been really good considering his age and that rest of them have been playing alongside top players.

That graph makes it very apparent we should be chasing Isco first and foremost. Kev is having a stinker of a season and still getting assists and Dave is playing far deeper these days. These stats show Barkley to be a ball retainer, which is not the way we play. He has more take ons and shots for this reason, but look at that pass completion...it's shocking.

 

[Phil1]

Not sure Barclay would play anywhere near enough minutes but if it's all about the English quota then he's probably the best of a bad bunch.

 

[RandomJ]

My worry with Barkley is he's 23 now and his decision making is still atrocious. Every game it seems he is making the wrong choices. Player makes a run, he holds onto the ball and passes it elsewhere, two options for a pass, he picks the wrong one. Should lay the ball off, he tries to take on 3 players and loses the ball etc etc.

 

[MarsLlama]

Dybala is about to announce the signing of a new 5 year contract making him Juventus' highest paid player and Aubameyang...over Aguero really? No.

I love Aguero, really, and I wouldn't swap him for anyone in the world. But in my opinion there are four or five better strikers in the world than him right now. Forget goal records- that depends where they're playing- but in terms of their actual ability. Suarez, Aubameyang, Lewandoski, Icardi and- before long- Belotti and Jesus. Aguero was still young when we signed him but I don't think he's ever gotten better than that, just not gotten much worse, but there's certainly goals he scored in the first few seasons that I can't imagine him scoring now.

 

[domalino]

That graph makes it very apparent we should be chasing Isco first and foremost. Kev is having a stinker of a season and still getting assists and Dave is playing far deeper these days. These stats show Barkley to be a ball retainer, which is not the way we play. He has more take ons and shots for this reason, but look at that pass completion...it's shocking.

Having 5% worse pass completion that David Silva while playing for Everton is not "shocking" at all.

To be honest your comment is a bit all over the place - Silva is a ball retainer, Yaya is a ball retainer. Our system of play is based entirely around ball retention and possession. That's exactly the kind of player we want.

 

[_OVO_]

That graph makes it very apparent we should be chasing Isco first and foremost. Kev is having a stinker of a season and still getting assists and Dave is playing far deeper these days. These stats show Barkley to be a ball retainer, which is not the way we play. He has more take ons and shots for this reason, but look at that pass completion...it's shocking.

83% Pass completion is shocking? But that's 2% more than Kevin, what are you trying to say here?

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

Having 5% worse pass completion that David Silva while playing for Everton is not "shocking" at all.

To be honest your comment is a bit all over the place - Silva is a ball retainer, Yaya is a ball retainer. Our system of play is based entirely around ball retention and possession. That's exactly the kind of player we want.

Oops, I actually meant successful passes and read it as a percentage. But neither of our lads hold on to the ball like Barkley does. Our players try to play the ball as a first option, whereas his one thing is head down and run.